Emdadul Haque most popular candidate for Thakurgaon-3 bypoll

Former Awami League lawmaker from Thakurgaon-3 constituency Md Emdadul Haque, also President of Peerganj Upazila Awami League and member of Thakurgaon District unit AL, is the most competent and popular candidate for the upcoming by elections to the same Thakurgaon-3 constituency.

The constituency has fallen vacant after the resignation of BNP lawmaker Zahidur Rahman. The by-election is scheduled to be held on February 1. 

Although, he was elected as the lawmaker in the 1996 general election with AL ticket, but he has to become the victim of the 14-party alliance led by Awami League for several times.

In the general election in 2014, Md Emdadul Haque again had been nominated by the AL at first. But as per the party decision, he had to withdraw his candidature as the AL gave support to Jatiya Party nominated candidate Hafiz Uddin as part of the political game.

Despite being the most popular leader and most competent candidate for the Thakurgaon-3 constituency, Emdadul Haque further became the victim of the 14-party alliance.

The Awami League further gave nomination to Workers Party, one of the components of the 14-party alliance, candidate Mohammad Yiasin.  In the election, Mohammad Yiasin got only 38,062 votes and Jahidur Rahman won the election with 88,510 votes.

But as an independent candidate, Emdadul Haque got second highest 84,395 votes.

The candidate nominated by Jatiya Party, Hafiz Uddin got 25,000 votes.  If Emadul Haque was given nomination from the party, the AL would have not to lose the seat.

Considering his popularity and competency, the leaders, activists and supporters of Awami League, as well as the mass people think that Emdadul Haque is the proper leader for the Thakurgaon-3 constituency to become the lawmaker from the Awami League.

It should be mentioned that Emdadul Haque joined with Bangladesh Chhatra League while he was a student of Dhaka College in 1964. In 1966, he became a member of Awami League from his role in the six-point movement. In 1966-1971, he was the organizing secretary of Thakurgaon (Mahukuma) Municipal Awami League.

In 1971, he took part in the Great War of Liberation and in 1972-1975, he was the office secretary of Thakurgaon (Mahukuma) unit Awami League. He served as organizing secretary of Pirganj Thana Awami League in 1975-1981, general secretary of Pirganj Upazila Awami League in 1981-1996

In 1989-1991, he became Pirganj Upazila chairman from the Awami League. In 1996, he was the General Secretary of Pirganj Upazila Awami League.  From 1996-2014, he served as the president of Pirganj Upazila Awami League and from 2014-2019, he served as Senior Vice President of Thakurgaon District Awami League.

At present, he is the President of Pirganj Upazila Awami League and Thakurgaon District since 2019.